Bueller? Bueller?

8, 7, and 5 inch yokes hanging on pegs on a
"yoke tree" made from 2 by 3 cherry.

Oxen people aren't unhelpful by nature.  Quite the contrary, most I know are beyond helpful.  They share knowledge, equipment, and advice.  There's almost nothing they won't share.  Almost.

Got a feed question?  They'll happily help.

Yoke fit?  They'll come on over and get ya set.

Cattle health concern?  They've got three stories about a homemade cure and one about their trusty vet's advice.

Bulls hauling out?  They've got three things to try, one that worked for grandpa, one they tried, and one

9" double yoke out of the way, with the bow doing
service in the 10" single yoke.

that isn't likely to work, but it still makes for a good story.

Mower not adjusted right?  They've got an extra copy of the manual tucked away for you, a checklist they used when they rebuilt one last season and the links to the three best Youtube videos to consult.

Need an old picture identified?  Oh, please.  Not only do they know the grand-niece of the guy in the photo, she won a blue ribbon two summers ago in the fair in the next town.

The 10" yoke rack.  I'm not sure it must be
a 2-year-old bale of hay, but that's what I use.

Can't find your copy of "Oxen: a Teamster's Guide?"  They picked up an extra last year, knowing someone would want it someday.

Broken bow?  They'll drop it off tonight, so you can get back to the woods tomorrow.

However. . .

Ask about yoke storage?  Crickets.


Kesi mardana-Dasa fell into that trap a few weeks

Pegs in the yoke tree.

ago on Facebook.  The silence was deafening.

A couple of years ago, I asked MODA folks, looking for content for the newsletter, about how they house their animals. . .   Nothing.  Bueller?  Bueller? 

I have a couple of hypotheses about this.  Either:

Halters on the left, lead ropes on the right.
Hooks from a garage sale. . .I think.

1. We oxen people are a bit embarrassed that the barn is messier than we'd like.

or

2.  The barn is pretty nice and oxen people don't want to seem braggadocious.

No matter, I'd be glad to start the group therapy session right here.  Sprinkled throughout are photos of the barn. No clean up, cropping, or special lighting.  Not too impressive, but I'm ok with that.  Perfection is a hobby I don't plan to pursue.

Rakes on pegs, near pegs, and within
spitting distance of pegs.

We'd love to see your yokes and housing.  We won't judge.

A Sweet Job

After our cross country meet yesterday, I drove out to Tillers for their fall Harvest Fest.  They had the farm and shops open to meet guests and show folks the great work they're doing both in Michigan and Internationally.

The weather was a bit warm for the oxen, 84 degrees and sunny.  The job at hand was pressing sorghum.  A single ox, Blue and then Pollux, pulls the sweep around an old Chattanooga press while someone feeds the stalks into it.  A bucket catches the juice, usually several times more concentrated than maple sap, which is then poured into a boiler to cook down to a thick, sweet, molasses-like syrup. 

Thomas Philbrick was driving the ox, Ivy was answering questions and hauling the buckets of juice, and Jarrah was feeding stalks.  After a bit I took a turn at driving.  It took a lap or so to get the feel of where to position myself to keep Pollux out far enough to remove the distraction of stepping over those sweet stalks, but then all was good. 

All in all, a great afternoon watching a traditional autumn job.